Method for identifying fingerprint and electronic device thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015139511-A1
Application number	US-201414504041-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	May 21, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for operating of an electronic device is provided. The method includes: sensing an input on an input device, detecting one axis direction of a fingerprint input or to be input to a fingerprint sensor, based on the sensed input, determining whether the one axis direction of the fingerprint is consistent with a reference direction of a reference fingerprint, when the one axis direction is not consistent with the reference direction, making the one axis direction consistent with the reference direction, and determining whether the fingerprint is consistent with the reference fingerprint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
sensing an input on an input device; detecting one axis direction of a fingerprint input or to be input to a fingerprint sensor, based on the sensed input; determining whether the one axis direction of the fingerprint is consistent with a reference direction of a reference fingerprint; when the one axis direction is not consistent with the reference direction, making the one axis direction consistent with the reference direction; and determining whether the fingerprint is consistent with the reference fingerprint.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input device is a touch screen or an image sensor, and
wherein the input comprises at least one of a touch input on the touch screen, a hovering input, and a finger image received from the image sensor.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the one axis direction of the fingerprint input or to be input to the fingerprint sensor comprises determining a virtual center line corresponding to one axis of a touch area of the touch input or a hover area of the hovering input.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein making the one axis direction of the fingerprint consistent with the reference direction of the reference fingerprint comprises rotating the reference fingerprint or the fingerprint by using an angle between the virtual center line and a horizontal line parallel to the fingerprint sensor.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a function corresponding to the one axis direction of the fingerprint input to the fingerprint sensor.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in the input device or in proximity of the input device.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein, when the input is sensed at a location in 5 proximity of the fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint sensor is activated.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein, when the input is sensed at a location in the proximity of the fingerprint sensor, some function of the input device is inactivated.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in a touch panel of the electronic device or in proximity of the touch panel.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the one axis direction of the fingerprint input or to be input to the fingerprint sensor comprises estimating a change in an incidence angle of a finger to be input to the fingerprint sensor.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
an input device; a fingerprint sensor; a memory; and at least one processor, wherein the processor is configured to sense an input on the input device, detect one axis direction of a fingerprint input or to be input to the fingerprint sensor, based on the sensed input, determine whether the one axis direction of the fingerprint is consistent with a reference direction of a reference fingerprint, when the one axis direction is not consistent with the reference direction, make the one axis direction consistent with the reference direction, and determine whether the fingerprint is consistent with the reference fingerprint.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the input device is a touch screen or an image sensor, and
wherein the input comprises at least one of a touch input on the touch screen, a hovering input, and a finger image received from the image sensor.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect the one axis direction of the fingerprint input or to be input to the fingerprint senor by determining a virtual center line corresponding to one axis of a touch area of the touch input or a hover area of the hovering input.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to make the one axis direction of the fingerprint consistent with the reference direction of the reference fingerprint by rotating the reference fingerprint or the fingerprint by using an angle between the virtual center line and a horizontal line parallel to the fingerprint sensor.

15 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a function corresponding to the one axis direction of the fingerprint input to the fingerprint sensor.

16 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in the input device or in proximity of the input device.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein, when the input is sensed at a location in proximity of the fingerprint sensor, the processor is further configured to activate the fingerprint sensor.

18 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein, when the input is sensed at a location in the proximity of the fingerprint sensor, the processor is further configured to inactivate some function of the input device.

19 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the fingerprint sensor is included in a touch panel of the electronic device or in proximity of the touch panel.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which, when being executed by an electronic device, stores one or more programs comprising instructions for allowing the electronic device to
sense an input on an input device, detect one axis direction of a fingerprint input or to be input to a fingerprint sensor, based on the sensed input, determine whether the one axis direction of the fingerprint is consistent with a reference direction of a reference fingerprint, when the one axis direction is not consistent with the reference direction, make the one axis direction consistent with the reference direction, and determine whether the fingerprint is consistent with the reference fingerprint.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Su-Ha
• Park Su-Young
• Jung Eui-Chang

Classifications

• G06K9/0002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00087

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00919

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06V10/242

  by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees · CPC title